78 Shades of Monkey D Garp
by nsheldonb
Summary: A collection of 78 stories about Garp, some connected, some not. Some romance, some family, some of everything for my favorite character. Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, Oda does!
1. What it Means to Fall

**Hey everyone! My name is nsheldonb and today is Garp's birthday! Garp is my favorite character in One Piece not only for his power but also his complexity. He is the definition of a gray character. Garp is filled with conflicting emotions and not enough people like him nor think he's that impressive. To me, I believe Garp is easily in the top five most powerful characters in One Piece, even stronger than when Luffy eventually becomes Pirate King. So without further ado, here is the first of seventy-eight chapters.**

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The world outside was sunny and the birds were chirping happily. There was no news about pirates or Marines or anyone. Even the press were relaxing on such a beautiful day. Everything was calm after the past few weeks. It was abnormal but it was peaceful.

Many people were outside, enjoying the beautiful weather whether it be for training, playing, or soaking up the sun's rays. Even those who had to do paperwork had cracked their windows open to smell the fresh air and feel calmed by the day's presence.

However, in a dark room with the windows shut and the curtains closed was an imposing figure that sat at his desk, alone.

The Marine's white coat of Justice was wadded up in a ball in the corner, thrown in anger and pain. He sat at his desk, hands gripping at his gray hair and his eyes flowing with an endless amount of tears. He stopped being the strongest Marine and started being a man that lost a part of his world, a part of his reason for living.

Today marked the one month anniversary of the Battle of Marineford and the subsequent death of Edward Newgate "Whitebeard" and "Fire Fist" Portgas D. Ace.

For on that fateful day, Monkey D. Garp had lost one of his grandsons.

He had never felt failure like he did that day. Ace was dead, Luffy was alone, and a promise was broken. He could never face his family again.

He would talk to Dadan, tell her about how her foster son had died, let her beat him up, and then leave. If she ended up killing him, Garp didn't care. He didn't feel like he deserved to live, not after a failure like this. Roger had trusted Garp with his son, above everyone else on his crew including Silvers Rayleigh, and Garp had failed to save Ace.

Marine Hero? That was a joke, he was no hero. A hero saves the people they love. His parents died during separate Buster Calls, one of his sworn brothers was murdered by a Devil's Fruit user while the other died _alone__,_ Sabo had died because of the Celestial Dragons, and Ace had died with a hole in his chest by a Marine Admiral. Dadan would die from being reckless, Dragon was willing to die for his cause, and Luffy was making a name for himself and would soon be Pirate King. And Makino? With her association with Dragon, Luffy, and Shanks, she would be used as bait and they would murder her, just to spite the three men.

If Garp continued on this path, he knew that everyone he loved would die. A long time ago, he had heard the saying, _"The more you love, the more you have to lose."_ This made Garp picky about who he welcomed into his heart. Though how could Garp not love his own blood son and grandson? How could Garp not love Dadan, the first friend Dragon had made? How could Garp not love Makino, the friend that kept Dragon and Dadan safe from their stupid adventures? How could Garp not love Ace, the wild yet broken son of the Pirate King that loved his grandson and became his own? How could Garp not love Sabo, the one that showed Ace and Luffy reason and yet was willing to stay with them?

It was hard _not_ to love those that were too lovable. It was hard _not_ to love his family, his light, his reason to live.

With Ace's death though, the gaping hole in his heart was too noticeable and Garp feared that the rest of his rays of light would be snuffed out because of his failures.

He wanted to die, to just end it all, but then he thought of everyone else.

Luffy had just lost Ace, his most important person. Even though Luffy didn't love him like Garp wanted him to, Garp was the only blood family he knows. He didn't need another loss.

Dragon had his Revolutionary Army but if Garp didn't continue to 'accidently' burn some files that would prove disastrous to Dragon, who knows what would have happened.

Dawn Island, which includes Makino and Dadan, would no longer have the protection it currently has. With Dawn Island having signs of 'Under the protection of Marine Hero Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp,' most pirates tended to stay away. Even if it only stopped some of the small-time pirates, it was better than nothing. Dawn Island wasn't equipped or trained to fight anyone.

He would live, only because his name and body protected others. He was no longer living for himself.

Monkey D. Garp was a shadow of himself and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

The day Portgas D. Ace died was the day that Monkey D. Garp stopped wanting to live.


	2. Stay with Us

**Hey there again! Sorry the updates aren't that fast and are irregular. I post when I can. Anyways, this is centered on Makino but it shows a different side to Garp. The fiction shows his relationship with other characters and this is one of the chapters. Since Shanks has feelings for Makino and was powerful enough to keep her safe, why didn't she leave? This is still in the canon universe.**

**By the way, these are the ages for me (post- time skip)**

**Monkey D. Luffy (19)**

**Portgas D. Ace (Would be 22 but died at 20)**

**Sabo (22)**

**Monkey D. Garp (78)**

**Yotsuba Makino (38)**

**Monkey D. Dragon (48)**

**Curly Dadan (48)**

**(Yes, I know Dragon is 55, Makino is 31, and 55. I manipulated the ages so they are closer in age)**

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"Come with me."

Makino stared at the glass mug in her hands as she continued to clean it to keep her mind busy. It was Monday during working hours so she didn't have much to do until lunch.

The words that Shanks had said to her were still disconcerting.

"Come with me."

She longed to be out to sea once again but she had promised her sworn brother and sister that she would stay on Dawn Island, protected. It was hard, especially when she knew she could protect herself and help others. She wasn't fragile and weak like some others thought. But the promise they had made years ago still echoed in the back of her mind, a promise to all meet again on Dawn Island.

But she was waiting and waiting and waiting. Luffy, Dragon's son, had come. Though she was glad to have a nephew and a reassurance that Dragon was indeed _alive_, it wasn't enough. She wanted to see her sworn big brother again. She wanted to be wrapped in his embrace and told that he would protect her. The years had been slow and although Dadan was there, it wasn't always enough. Dadan would sometimes break down because an overwhelming loneliness would surface. Sure, they had each other but without Dragon, they were incomplete.

Makino smiled when she realized that going with Shanks might not be such a bad thing after all. She could find Dragon, Shanks was powerful enough to see the Revolutionary Leader, and could bring him back home. They could be a family together.

It pained her to know that Luffy would be left alone but if she brought his father, it might make up for things. Either way, Dragon needed to come home, even if it was just for one day. She needed someone to hold her at night and reassure her that everything was going to be alright in this corrupt world.

"I'll see you soon Dragon," Makino whispered to herself in her lonely bar.

…

The next day, the Party's Bar was surprisingly closed, making many townsfolk groan in frustration, unhappy that they couldn't get drunk at the bar.

In a small house on the outskirts of Fuchsia Village was Makino. She was packing her bag of the essentials. There wasn't much that she needed since Shanks was a pirate and had all the necessary things she needed.

She took off her bandana and dipped her fingers into the pocket she had stitched on the inside to pull out three Vivre cards. One was Dadan's, gently swaying towards Mount Corvo where she usually is. One was Garp's, erratically moving which was odd. He should be in the New World. The last one was Dragon's, stagnant in the way that it was almost always pointed towards the New World.

_"This piece of paper will reunite us one day."_

Makino sure hoped that was the case. This Vivre card will lead her towards Dragon and she would be reunited after years of separation. The weight would be lifted off of her shoulders as she would see her beloved brother. Her Dragon.

Dragon's Vivre card, a Log Pose, a New World Log Pose, Dawn Island's Eternal Log Pose, and a picture of the three of them together were the only things she had packed. She would have brought some sake and the red sake cups but she refused to renew their siblinghood until all three of them were together.

"Time to bring Dragon home," Makino whispered to herself.

Before she could do any more though, she heard the voice of a man that was much too used to everyone he loved eventually leaving him.

"Are you really leaving?" Garp, Dragon's father and Luffy's grandfather, asked her. He sat at her dining room table with a look of accepting pain and suffering shining in his obsidian eyes. His usually proud stance was slumped and his face pulled into a grimace. For once, he didn't wear his Marine coat of Justice and Makino wondered why he was on Dawn Island so much earlier than expected.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the New World, Garp?" Makino asked, her lips tight lipped. She shifted her weight on her feet and held her bag close to her chest, trying to protect herself from the onslaught of his emotions. She hated how weak she was when Garp radiated that sadness, hating how it made cave in to every one of his demands. Her eyes were in the general direction of Garp but she refused to look at him. The light croak in his voice was already hard enough to bare, she couldn't stand to look him in the eyes.

"I came here early to check in on Ace," Garp told her, not at all deterred by her avoidance of his question or her rude manners. He knew that she was just shocked and didn't mean to be rude. Whenever she was around Dragon, Dadan, or Garp, she would accidently fall into the bad habit of being blunt. Makino had worked hard on being a kinder and more gentle soul but sometimes her childish personality reared its head.

"Ace is fine, Garp," Makino frowned, still not looking directly at him, despite the twitch in her neck that made her want to look him in the eyes. "Dadan is taking care of Ace and I'm taking care of Luffy. You have nothing to worry about."

"Maybe I do though," Garp said, standing up now and walking towards her. He kneeled down on the ground to compensate for their height difference, yet he still towered over her smaller frame. "I entrusted you to take care of Luffy but now you're looking to leave to find Dragon? I worry about him too Makino but he's an adult, he can take care of himself." There was a slight growl of controlled anger directed at the woman in front of him.

Makino stared right above his shoulder and before she knew it, Garp had wrapped her in a hug and she started to cry.

"I hate being left behind!" Makino started crying, sobs making her entire body shake in grief and concealed pain. "I j- just wa- want Dr- Dr- Dragon to co- come h- h- h- ho- home!" She buried her face into his shoulder and just let her grief consume her.

Garp said nothing and that was okay because you don't need comforting words when you grieve. The only thing you need is someone to be there for you, to pick you up after you fall. Garp knew this all too well. When Dawn Island was raided, when his two sworn brothers died, when his parents died from separate Buster Calls, when he divorced his ex-wife, when he learned that Dragon became a Revolutionary, and when he learned so many other painful things, all he wanted was a shoulder to cry on. He didn't need someone to understand his pain, just someone to be there. But it was hard to open up your heart when you had it broken too many times.

So, yes, Garp understood the pain Makino was feeling. It was hard to be the one left behind. Sure, Garp explored the the world and intimately knew many world secrets, but what did that matter if he had no one to share it with? Garp knew that Dragon would die for his cause, Makino and Dadan had made their homes on Dawn Island, and Luffy and Ace were probably going to be pirates. There was no way around it. He was surrounded by people but he felt alone, wrapped in a darkness that threatened to suffocate him.

"Just stay here, stay with us," Garp whispered to her, gently holding and rocking her back and forth. This was something that Makino had needed for a long time and Garp was astonished by her bravery and will. Dragon had been gone for years and Garp believed this was her first time crying over their distant relationship.

Even if Makino didn't have Dragon, Garp needed to reassure her that she still had Dadan, still had Luffy, still had Garp. Maybe one day, she'll meet Ace and have him too. She had all of them and they _needed_ her to stay on Dawn Island, stay with them.

"Dr- Dragon?" Makino's question was muffled and short, but Garp knew what she was asking.

"One day," Garp whispered to her. One day Dragon would come back to Dawn Island, one day he would come home. Until then, Makino would have to wait for Dragon to come and see his sworn sisters. One day, Dadan, Dragon, and Makino would renew their siblinghood with the red sake cups.

In their corner of the world, Makino and Garp just held onto each other, trying to find light in a world consumed by darkness.

…

_The next day…_

Shanks stared mournfully at Dawn Island while his ship set sail. His time spent on Dawn Island would forever be engrained in his mind. He had met Monkey D. Luffy, that spunky kid that had eaten the Gum- Gum Fruit and had the potential to become the next Pirate King. He had given the kid his prized Straw Hat because meeting Luffy had felt like meeting Roger.

Looking down at the white envelope in his hands, Shanks sighed for a completely different reason. Not only had he met an amazing kid, he had also met an amazing woman. She was sweet, kind- hearted barmaid that took care of the kid and captured Shanks' heart. She had forest green hair softer than silk, obsidian eyes that shined with an eternal brightness, a mind that was quick witted and sharp, a heart that was open to everyone, and an aura that was like Luffy's, a genuinely _decent_ human being, too good for the world they lived in. She had stolen his heart in just a few weeks and he had thrown all rationality out the window two days ago to ask if she wanted to come with him out to sea.

Initially, she had said yes and Shanks was singing and dancing, on cloud nine. He had fallen in love with the beautiful barmaid and she was going to be with them! But then he worried because while she was smart, Shanks didn't think she was that strong. He worried about her safety and hoped that no one harmed her to get to him. If she was in danger, he would drop everything to save her. This vulnerability scared him and he was conflicted on having her stay on Dawn Island or go with them. There were too many things to factor in, too many chances that could make his contingency plans go out the window.

He need not be worried though, Makino had made her decision when they were leaving.

Shanks had been looking all over for Makino and just when Shanks was about to run over all of Dawn Island for her, she showed up.

He raised his red eyebrows in surprise when he didn't see her with any bag or suitcase. Instead, all Makino held was a white envelope with a wax seal that had the emblem of 'DMD' on it.

"Where's your suitcase?" Shanks asked, a bit nervous. He had thought of Makino the past hour or so and was leaning towards taking the chance of having her with him. She could be hurt on Dawn Island and Shanks wanted as many happy moments as possible with her. The fact that Makino didn't have anything but clothes and a letter made him terrified. Was she not…?

"I'm not going," she told him, shaking her head, eyes closing. "Thank you for inviting me but—"

"Why?" Shanks asked, interrupting her. It was barely noticeable but his shoulders twitched, threatening to shake but the man refused to show weakness. His eyes were downcast and he really hated how he didn't have his Straw Hat to cover his eyes.

"I have to stay," she said with a sad smile. "You are a _great_ person but I made a promise to stay here for someone." She fiddled with the letter and Shanks couldn't help but wonder who the letter was for. "He wants me to stay safe on Dawn Island and it's a promise I _can't_ break."

Her held out the letter with shaky hands and said:

"Wh- when you see h- him, ca- can you tell him I'm wa- waiting?" Shanks felt jealousy rage from within him but seeing Makino on the verge of breaking down quelled the beast in him. Whoever the letter was to, it was obviously someone very important. Shanks knew that Makino wouldn't be cruel enough to hand him a letter to another lover so he had to wonder who it was for.

"Who is he?" Shanks asked, still heartbroken that Makino not only decided to stay, but was more nervous and worried about the letter.

"His name is Dragon," Makino whispered, sniffling just a little. "He's the Revolutionary Army Leader." A small whimper escaped her and she clenched her fists to try and hold back her sobs.

Shanks kept a mask on but inside, he was filled with emotions of shock, fear, anger, resentment, respect, confusion, and so many other things. DRAGON?! _That's_ who Makino is waiting for? Well, Shanks will just have to be better than Dragon to have Makino pick him! Yeah! That's what he needs to do! First though…

"I'll do it," Shanks told her.

"Re- really?" Makino stuttered and Shanks was blinded by her bright eyes and smile along with her illuminating aura. Shanks was once again jealous that _Dragon_ of all people was able to get this perfect woman to be _so_ happy. For just agreeing to give him a _letter_, Makino had lit up like the sun. Shanks wouldn't be surprised if birds started singing and the fiercest of beasts had calmed down with that smile. There was something truly _extraordinary_ about Makino.

"Yes."

They said their goodbyes and when Shanks went in for a kiss, he felt her tense but then relax in his arms. Shanks wasn't sure if it was because she actually liked him or if she was just thankful that he agreed to be messenger. Either way, he would savor that moment until he returned to Dawn Island one day.


	3. The Wife

**Hey there! Sorry for not posting in a while! Not making excuses or anything, just a bit lazy. Working on two big ones that are both about two thousand words each. So, look forward to that! This one shot _The Wife_ is more of a general kind of fic. This is how Garp met his wife/Dragon's mother.**

**By the way: there's a poll on my profile! You get the pick which genre is the next chapter!**

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He met her when they were just fourteen years-old and two years after Garp had lost his entire world. His parents had died and his two sworn brothers had died. He was at his lowest and had tunnel vision of blood, pain, death, and revenge.

No one approached the teenager with a dark past and abnormal strength. Woop Slap, the most respected of the teenagers, warned many of him. He was dark and strange and was _trouble_. No self respecting citizen should ever go near him.

But Kamiki D. Hera wasn't normal.

Sure, she looked normal with her small and feminine figure. Her soft chocolate brown hair cascaded down in waves to her back and her glistening obsidian eyes had the spark that every normal child had. Her eyes told of an innocence that had yet to be tainted by the cruel world. And if she stayed in Dawn Island for the rest of her life, she would most likely always keep that innocence. Thing was, Hera wasn't _born_ on Dawn Island. No, she was one of many families that had migrated to Dawn Island after the invasion.

Her grandmother and her father were both originally from Dawn Island. The passing of her grandmother was sad but Hera had never known her so it wasn't as traumatizing. Her father had decided to move the family, his wife and two children, to Dawn Island. Hera liked the view on Quill Island, an island where passenger ships stopped by frequently, and was disappointed to leave. She liked seeing the different people and species that came to the island, telling of fantastical islands on the Grandline and her happy-go-lucky friends. The move was hard, but Hera stayed optimistic.

Going to Dawn Island, Hera became best friends with Shira and Mauve, two young girls that were also pulled away from their own lives. Hera was from the West Blue, Shira the North, and Mauve the South. Together, they had found each other in East Blue. They understood Hera's heartbreak and pain on a personal level.

They liked to play ball and braid each others hair.

They went to school together along with Woop Slap who was two years older than them but was still in some of their classes due to the small school size. Hera had been in school for more than a year before she had finally met Garp.

Garp didn't attend school and there was really no one that could force him to. He could read and write well enough to get by. He didn't have the social skills to fit in well with the other school children. Either way, he would have skipped the classes to train in the forest of Dawn. There were more important things than school.

But Mayor Pardi, had lured the sixteen year-old into attending school with the promise of free meat if he attended at least 60% of all classes and passed with at least a C average.

This wouldn't have even been good enough for the regular children to go to the next grade level since they needed an attendance of at least 85% but considering Garp wasn't even _attending_ before, it was better than nothing.

Hera remembered seeing an intimidating man that stayed in the background of the classroom, staring out the window and towards the sea. He would be brooding and Hera wasn't ever sure what he was thinking, was probably never going to know. This was a teenage boy of secrets that Hera wanted to discover.

The most astounding thing was that every test they had, he got the minimum percentage to get a C. He never went a day more or less than necessary. Others thought Garp was dumb for only getting Cs but Hera knew he was smart. He probably knew all of the material but had calculated to see how many he needed to get right to get the minimum C.

Hera wanted to know the man and so, she started to follow him around after school. Shira and Mauve would help her by filling out some of her homework while she was off watching him.

Sometimes Garp would go around, tossing trees and crushing rocks with his bare hands. Other times, he would just be meditating and Hera had no idea that Garp could look so… she wasn't sure how to describe it. He wasn't at peace yet he wasn't fully concentrated. It was as if he was trying to train and yet something kept invading his mind. He would constantly swim and run all the time, casually jogging backwards up Mount Corvo to see the setting sun. Going down the mountain, he would grab a sturdy piece of park and let gravity pull him down, sliding down at a rapid pace with the smooth movements of right, right, left, right to avoid large bumps.

Garp was something else and yet Hera felt like Garp was holding back. One time, Hera had caught Garp throw a punch and stopping before he actually hit the boulder, only for the force of his punch to crumble the boulder to dust. After that impressive display of power, Hera saw Garp tense before forcing himself to relax. He continued to punch boulders but he actually hit them this time and they didn't turn to dust like before. No, the boulders turned into pebbles.

When Garp turned seventeen, he set out to sea to Shell Town, the island closest with a Marine Base. Everyone found it odd yet fitting that Monkey D. Garp would become a Marine. Though he didn't fit in well with others and didn't listen to authority, he had his own brand of justice and was strong.

"I hope you succeed," Hera told him, blushing as she handed him her soft lavender handkerchief that had her initials stitched in a royal blue.

"Thank you," Garp said in his stoic voice. He looked at the gift in mild confusion but accepted it, nonetheless.

And just like that, Garp was off to become a Marine and Hera wouldn't see him for the next nine years, not until after the Canon Pirates had fallen.


End file.
